Confession
by ForgottenWhispersxo
Summary: During the magic of Magnolia Town's festivities, a certain Iron Dragon Slayer works up the courage to tell Fairy Tail's bookworm just how much he cares. / GajeelxLevy One-Shot


[ Dedicated to my best friend: the Dragon to my Tiger, the Gajeel to my Levy. ]

* * *

Magnolia Town twinkled beneath the vivid glow of the moonlight, strangers and familiar faces bundled together for yet another magnificent Festival. With the parade coming to an end, Fairy Tail's members were allowed to disperse throughout the town, partaking in the festivities and absorbing the jovial atmosphere before the event came to its end.

A harmony of giggles lifted towards the dark sky as a certain blue-haired Mage skipped ahead of her companion. Gajeel's eyes were fixated upon the mess of blue waves created by the breeze, a touch of pink lifting to his cheeks as he observed her from a safe distance. She was well and truly ecstatic – _he'd picked the perfect night for this. _An eruption of cheers echoed in the distance as the two made their way towards South Gate Park, the majority of festivities were held away from the lush, rural areas. The steady decrease in volume was confirmation enough that Gajeel had made the right choice. It was his intention to keep Levy away from the majority of events, having bribed her with the promise of winning her a prize later on. It had taken everything he'd got to pry Droy and Jet away from her, though that was a story for another occasion.

**"Oi Shrimp, hold up! For someone so tiny you sure as Hell got a ton of energy," **Levy's form came to an immediate halt, the excited bookworm spinning on her heels to face him. Her entire complexion glowed a rosy shade of pink, the cool air biting at her delicate skin. Gajeel remained silent for a little while longer; this was the first chance he'd had to look at her since the Festival started.

**"What did you want to show me?"**

Gajeel snapped out of his trance, extending his hand to adjust the scarf wrapped around his tiny companion. With each tiny breath a fog of warm air formed against her lips. Though he'd never openly expressed concern before, he couldn't deny that it bothered him. It was written into his features, evidenced by the aforementioned action. Someone like Levy, someone so tiny and fragile, it was difficult to fight the urge to protect them. Even if he was fighting an impossible battle against the weather.

**"You remember this tree, don't you? This is wh-"**

**"Yes, I remember this tree," **she interrupted,** "I remember the way flowers blossom beneath it during the summer… and I'll remember the golden shade of the leaves right now." **

Gajeel was momentarily dumbfounded by her interjection; it would seem he still had a lot to learn about Fairy Tail's bookworm. Small as she was she had a big heart filled with compassion and forgiveness, to top it off she was reverently stubborn. She was adamant in her decision to erase the negative memories she had of Gajeel; he was much more to her than a former Phantom Lord member seeking redemption. He was important to her.

**"Look, Shrimp, I have something I need to do before we head back to the activities. You'll stay until I've finished, won't you?"**

Levy gave a gentle nod, a speck of concern lifting to her eyes. It was obvious she'd misunderstood the reason for the anxiety exposed within his crimson hues. Her mind was running a mile a minute, it was unusual for Gajeel to speak so openly with her. He hadn't scolded her, he hadn't made a facetious remark about her height or the difference in their strength. Actually, so far, he'd been a pleasant companion.

The chaos surrounding the panicked bookworm was nothing compared to the flustered state of Gajeel's mind. He'd planned this out over and over in his head, Pantherlily frequently –though unwillingly– playing the role of Levy in order to prepare Gajeel for this moment. Now that his opportunity had arisen, well, the lump in his throat wasn't so easily swallowed. He fumbled around in his pocket for a moment, the blue-haired mage studying him as he did so. From where she stood now, Gajeel seemed somewhat perplexed, his expression altering with each subtle movement of his hand within the depths of his jacket.

**"Gajeel are you o-"**

**"Got it! Damn this stupid thing. Just… just stay right there. Don't move. Well, you can hop from one foot to the other if you get cold but ****_don't move._****" **

Stepping forward, a confident spark in his eyes, Gajeel placed one hand upon Levy's head, fingers spreading throughout her blue waves. The action forced her to become suddenly conscious about her hair, enough so that both hands lifted to her headband to return it to its former position. Watching him now she was baffled as he moved towards the tree, one hand reaching up close to the area he'd fastened her once upon a time. Being shamed back then, well, it left scars Levy could never truly get rid of. Still, she'd do her best to cover them up, to paint over them with new memories. Happier memories.

A burst of colour filled the sky as she fought to see what he was doing, the roar of fireworks momentarily grabbing her attention. Amber orbs ticked towards the kaleidoscope of reds and oranges illuminating the night sky, a wide smile spreading onto her face. In awe of the patterns scattered about the sky, Levy unconsciously stepped forward to alert Gajeel, as if he couldn't hear the sequence of blasts himself.

**"Gajeel, look!" **The hand outstretched towards the sky was caught by a strong set of fingers, pulling her attention away from the fireworks once more. She gazed at him curiously, a noticeable amount of blush etched into his countenance. He didn't speak as she studied him, dark eyes flitting past his face towards the tree. Those very same eyes, the ones glowing with excitement, widened to reveal nothing short of astonishment. The entirety of her face became a deep shade of red, mimicked by his own as he watched her.

Written into the air (with the help of a Light Pen he'd borrowed from Mirajane) were the words '_I love you, Shrimp._' The tree stood tall behind the large letters, a symbol of his affection, of their relationship. He would make her big, strong, much like the tree that sustained all of their memories. There were a lot of things Gajeel didn't know, a lot of things had yet to learn about Levy McGarden, but one thing he knew for sure; he was irrevocably and uncontrollably in love with her. He couldn't contain it anymore.

**"I know you have a thing for words so I-"**

Gajeel gazed back to admire his work, a look of horror replacing his confident smile.

**"Damn it! Levy, I meant Levy!"**

Tears spilled out onto the tiny girl's features as her focus remained entirely on the lettering written before the tree. The erratic pace of her heart drowned out the roar of fireworks above.

**"Sorry Shr—Levy, I just wanted to-" **

**"I'm in love with you!"**

Gajeel's face became redder than the fireworks overhead, heat dancing along his skin as he stared at the sobbing mage before him. For a moment she let the tears take over, both hands lifting to brush them away. Choking back the sobs she lowered both hands, exposing reddened features to the stunned Dragon Slayer before her.

**"I love you, Gajeel."**

That was all he needed to hear. Stepping forward his hands moved around her form, capturing her with ease and hoisting her into the air. A quiet giggle slipped out between tiny sniffles, the angelic sound lost to the sudden embrace of his lips. His kiss sent a burst of warmth spreading throughout her body, the cold no longer an issue to either of them.

Perhaps the cold weather wasn't so difficult to fend off after all.


End file.
